We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sara Bjornson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sara below.
Sara, thank you so much for joining us today and appreciate you talking about a sensitive topic. It’s unfortunately relevant to so many in the community as layoffs have been on the rise recently, and so we’d appreciate hearing your story and how you overcame being let go?
When I was laid off, I was given two days’ notice. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be in this predicament. Before working in the private sector, I had worked for 12 years in the public sector, where I worked in unionized positions, and losing one’s job was never really in the realm of possibility.
I knew switching over to private-sector employment would involve a certain degree of risk, but for me that risk was more in a lower salary. This is why it was such a shock when I received the news on a Wednesday that my last day would be that Friday.
It was humbling. My goodness was it ever humbling. I always had a bit of a complex that I was destined for great things in my career (and I had worked in some pretty awesome positions), but this made it hit home to me that I am just like everyone else.
Literally the moment after the Zoom meeting ended, I took a breath and said out loud “I will not be a victim and I will not wallow in my own self-pity.”
While I refuse to give my old employer any credit for this because what they did was terrible, I used this as an opportunity to figure out exactly what I wanted my life to look like. Luckily, my husband and I were living with family at the time while we were having our tiny home built so our expenses were low. I was able to take a beat and figure out what direction I wanted to take my career. Needless to say, there was a significant amount of introspection and reflection involved.
I decided that I did not want to work for anyone else. Having the rug pulled out from under me was one of the absolute worst feelings and I did not want to give anyone else that power over me. This is one of the many factors that led to me starting my own business doing something that I am super passionate about. A week after I received news of the layoff, I had incorporated my business and attended my first Chamber of Commerce networking event.
My advice to anyone who is currently going through a layoff, don’t let it define you. Yes, it is part of your story, but it is not your entire story. You get to write the rest of the chapters.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am the founder of Time in the Valley Consulting. It is a boutique marketing firm that specializes in social media consulting and management for small businesses and organizations. I absolutely love working with people who are super passionate about what they do. One of my favourite ways to work with clients is by creating a social media strategy that is tailored to their business or organizational goals and then helping them to implement it.
I also recently launched my power hour offering where people can book an hour with me and we go over any social media questions that they have in an hour. After the session, they receive a summary of what was discussed along with recommended next steps. I love this because it is a super affordable way for people to get social media help that could potentially have a lasting impact on their business.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think the most important thing, first and foremost, is to believe in yourself. If you don’t, no one else will. Oftentimes the hardest step is the first one. Once you get going though, it progressively gets easier.
The next item that was most impactful was the relentless pursuit of knowledge. I believe that it takes years to perfect your craft and there are constant innovations. This is why I am always trying to stay ahead of the game by keeping on top of current trends, tools, and different approaches to social media marketing.
The final one is to surround yourself with people who inspire you. I’m very lucky that I have a group of people who motivate me, inspire me, and keep me grounded daily. It was early on in my journey that I learned the importance and the impact your network can have on you. My advice? If you are not surrounded by people who do not inspire you – go find a network! I joined my local Chamber of Commerce and it has been amazing. Not only have I met so many great people in a variety of different industries, but I also made some lasting connections that helped shape the trajectory of my business.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
The biggest area of growth in the past 12 months has been a lot of internal growth. I would be lying if I said I don’t get imposter syndrome from time to time. I constantly have to remind myself of what I have accomplished in the past year, which helps to calm me down.
I’ve learned that when I ignore my needs and core values, that is when my soul starts to feel discontent. To keep balanced and true to myself, I need to spend ample time outside, move my body, journal every day, and schedule my time. Understanding what feeds my soul and how that is connected to my business has been my biggest growth in the past 12 months.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.timeinthevalley.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/timeinthevalley
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timeinthevalley
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-bjornson-379405286/
Image Credits
Image of me with the camera – Laura Krzyzanowski Image of me with Laura on my back – Laura Krzyzanowski Image of me near the waterfalls – Cameron Bjornson
